Six reasons the International India Film Academy Awards are in Toronto

If you encounter more than the usual number of bhangra dancers on the streets this month, that’s because the International Indian Film Academy Awards are taking over the Rogers Centre on June 25. The gala will be watched by 600 million people in 60 countries and do more to raise Toronto’s profile than several G20 weekends. Forty thousand tourists will descend on the city’s hotels, and in the background, government and business officials will meet to build trade ties between Ontario and India. Infinitely more exciting are the many Indian movie stars who’ll be here, strolling in and out of the Thompson Hotel, signing autographs and, if we’re lucky, travelling the streets by elephant. Here, a primer to all things Bollywood in Toronto.

(Image: Courtesy of Bowmanville Zoo)

1. We have a huge built-in fan base
An estimated 700,000 South Asians live in the GTA, and they’re hard-core Bollywood fans. In 2007, a thousand people waited eight hours behind a blockade at the Elgin to catch a glimpse of stars Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan at the 2007 world premiere of the epic Guru.

2. We make big-budget Bollywood movies
In 2010, two major Bollywood productions were shot here: Breakaway and Thank You. An $11.3-million rom-com, Thank You was filmed in Vancouver, Mumbai and Toronto and mashes the three cities together in one giant Franken-opolis. Toronto landmarks like the St. Lawrence Market, Yonge-Dundas Square and Nathan Phillips Square play a starring role.

3. We know how to party
Twenty bhangra dancers, wearing brightly coloured silks and more gold than Mr. T, perform in Thank You’s finale. The scene, choreographed by Brampton’s Divya Kumar, unfolds on the roof of a seven-storey parking garage at the corner of Lake Shore and Lower Simcoe and features a gun battle followed swiftly—and strangely—by a wedding.

4. Our Indian music scene is cool
Sixty South Asian artists have recorded albums in Vikas Kohli’s Mississauga basement studio (Kohli lives upstairs with his mom)—including bhangra artist Mika Singh. His 2008 song “Apun Ke Saath” was the first Canadian-produced song to be performed at the IIFA awards. The stars like to record in Mississauga because it allows them to work semi-incognito.

5. Our politicians are bullish about BollywoodDalton McGuinty lured the IIFA to Toronto by pledging $12 million. Bollywood spends a reported $125 MILLION producing movies abroad every year; Queen’s Park wants Ontario to land a big piece of that. The feds are also devotees of Bollywood: Stephen and Laureen Harper, in a bid to win the South Asian vote, made an April 8 stop at the SilverCity cinemas in Brampton to attend the Canadian premiere of Thank You. (The assembled movie fans wanted autographs from the film’s actors and largely ignored an uncomfortable-looking Harper.)

6. We have elephants available for rent
Limba, the Bowmanville Zoo’s 48-year-old Asian elephant, appears in Breakaway, a movie that reportedly cost $12 million and stars comedian Russell Peters, Ludacris and 25-year-old Toronto native Vinay Virmani (whose father, CEO of Cargojet airlines and former Colborne Lane backer Ajay Virmani, is one of the movie’s producers). Limba’s day rate: $6,000-$12,000

11 thoughts on “Six reasons the International India Film Academy Awards are in Toronto”

Elephants should not be available for rent especially since nobody should OWN an elephant…Elephants are sentients with feelings and they should be left to live freely in the country where they were Born Free. It is time to make law that all those people, companies, zoos etc. that think they OWN an animal should have to return these sentients where they should live freely…they are not our slaves. Thank you,

Renting out an elephant? This is criminal. Period. That elephant was stolen from the jungle, taken away from her mother and her family and anyone who participates in exploiting her or any other elephant is just as guilty as whoever stole her into a life of slavery in the first place.

If you ever see an elephant in a movie, circus, etc, you can be sure that (s)he has spent every day being beaten with bullhooks, electric prods, chains and whips until the blood poured from their body while they screamed and suffered. And THAT is why they preform. Out of FEAR and nothing else. Shame on humans.

Wow, having an elephant to rent is nothing to boast about. That is atrocious that people still think it is okay to exploit animals for their entertainment value. Limba and all other elephants in captivity (that includes zoos and circuses folks) suffer greatly from being in an unnatural environment, on a ground surface that causes painful leg/foot problems that usually end in euthanasia. They suffer psychologically, which can be seen from just about any video footage of these animals when they are not “working”. You see them swaying back and forth constantly. Shame on Michael Hackenberger, and shame on anyone who supports this abuse by actually renting Limba and others like her.

I am sitting here scratching my head in TOTAL disbelief that there is an ad to rent out an elephant from an accredited zoo. A zoo that proclaims that the purpose of it having exotic animals is for conservation . An elephant is not a piece of equipment belonging to a rent a center. The Bowman Ville Zoo is profiting from exploitation of a majestic and incredible animal who should be by the way living in Asia with her herd not being traipsed around this cold Northern country like a back hoe just digging up loads of money for Michael Hackenberger so he can fill his bank account. I would like to know what CAZA has to say about this, if they condone this then I hold them accountable as well. This particular elephant has had her share of pain and suffering she is the oldest elephant in Canada. She has been in a truck crash, been beaten numerous times ( common husbandry allowed in this country). She has just endured performing through out eastern Canada in a circus tour confined in a small trailer and made to give pathetic rides, perform horrendous and dangerous tricks. All she is is a money maker for the Bowman Ville Zoo.
Please leave her alone have pity on her and Don’t rent her. She is just as worthy of respect for who she is as you or I

If more people knew about this elephant issue I’m sure a lot of people would not attend these awards. Its a hidious thing to have an elephant for rent, ANIMALS ARE NOT HERE FOR US. Let her live her life like an elephant should, her life is miserable and I don’t understand how people can look into her eyes and not see it. SHAME on international india film academy awards.

That poor elephant…she was jjust in Moncton at a freakin’ “circus, and now is hauled around to be rented to ignorant, self-centered, egomaniacs who film these ridiculous kitchy movies.
She should be with other elephants, not hauled around to be exploited by those with some ignorant sense of self-entitlement..
Where is Bob Barker when you need him. .

The hiring of this poor beautiful Elephant is outrageous.
Any money made from her is blood money and all involved should be ashamed of taking advantage and abusing one of the worlds most majestic animals.
This has to stop … it is wrong… This elephant deserves a better life – yet still a life!!!!!